Favorite Company: Legend of the Crusader
by Ryu Gabriev
Summary: Forbidden doors have been opened thanks to Q, releasing creatures of myth and ferocity upon an Earth ill equipped to handle them and the upheavals they bring to the planet. So begins the Legend of the Crusader... (Runs concurrent with Chronicle of the Traveler after Wager)
1. Armageddon Now

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, ideas, or concepts borrowed for the purposes of this story. I just wish to create stories to tell to all who would listen.

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Chapter 1: Armageddon Now

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The flash from the godling's action subsided, leaving a small group of people remaining in the tunnel entranceway: a Devil Hunter, a firebender, a Starfleet Officer, and their hosts, two young men that lived in this city under siege. As they stirred to consciousness and took stock of their surroundings, the source of Q's amusement couldn't help but comment. "Guess we can cross 'Get Trolled by a God' off the bucket list… Everyone ok?"

A chorus of affirmatives answered him, allowing the rookie leader to relax somewhat. It seemed Q simply had just been hoping to get a scare out of the group when he pulled his little stunt just now. The five of them left the tunnel and began their trek back to where Jonathan had parked their ride. Along the way several spirits and minor demons attempted to accost the group, only to discover Ian and Yohko were more than a simple meal items.

They reached the spot where the Texan had left his vehicle, glad to discover it had remained unmolested during the whole ordeal. They all piled in and drove away from urban center of Dallas back towards Ian and Jon's part of town. No one felt like breaking the sober mood in the cabin, so each was alone in his or her thoughts and actions. Yohko, who rode shotgun, was muttering to herself about possible barrier types and how many talismans she would need to create in order to carry out those ideas. Dax managed to squeeze herself between Iroh on her left and Ian on her right. The trill scientist was running a diagnostic on her phaser and other tools, nodding along as the information trickled in from her tricorder. Iroh simply gazed out of his window with his sleeves together in front of himself, his thoughts wandering. The neophyte psychic had kept some of his pebble shot from the previous battle and was entertaining himself by letting stone fragments slowly orbit his hand, The radio was back on, and like before the news wasn't encouraging. " _National Guard forces have been deployed to prevent possible looting within the city limits. If you are in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area please remain where you are until emergency personnel have assisted you. This quarantine is a precautionary measure only-"_

"In other words, 'We have no clue what's going on but we know we have to do something or look even more clueless than we already are.'" Jonathan quipped as he half listened to the announcer, half focused upon the light traffic that braved the highway despite all that gone on over the last few hours. "Then again, who's really prepared to survive the Apocalypse?"

Suddenly a thought forced its way into the Texan's mind. "God… I need to get home. Whole world's falling apart and Mom's fending for herself and Dad back at the house..."

Just as fast as the thought struck him, Jonathan drifted to the exit lane of the highway and moved towards his home. Of course, the sudden change of direction didn't go unnoticed by his passengers. "Jon, I get that you wanna make sure your parents are ok, but the rest of us can't just stay in your car while that's going on." Yohko remarked as the Texan turned onto the street leading home.

"Then come in if you all want, but im not doing anything else until my folks know I'm okay." Jonathan's tone brooked no further argument. Thus when he pulled up to the side of his house and moved to enter the group as a whole followed behind him.

Immediately the Texan knew that the next few minutes could be the most strenuous of his life so far... the living room was spotless, as was the dining room and kitchen. You see, in addition to his mother being a successful stage actress and retired nurse she had maintained an unusual habit over the years: Whenever she was stressed or frustrated, to avoid taking it out on her son or husband, she funneled her energies into tidying up her environment instead. Which would be perfect, were it not for the fact her interactions with people also gained a passive-aggressive bent. By the time Jonathan was an adult, he'd completely accepted that a cluttered house meant harmony in the family.

Jonathan carefully shuffled everyone through the interconnecting rooms till they reached the hall that led to the two separate bedrooms, one on each end, with the bathroom nestled in between them. The Texan pointed to the left. "My room's right over there, if you guys want you can chill there until I've smoothed over things with my mom. Besides, there's… not much to see where I'm going."

The neophyte psychic and lieutenant commander accepted the invitation to Jonathan's sanctum sanctorum, but Iroh stopped Yohko from joining them at the last moment. "I believe it would be best if Miss Yohko and I accompany you."

The retired general smiled at their confused looks and elaborated his point. "Our arrival into your home has not been silent, and you clearly do not wish to have this conversation with your mother now. Perhaps with supportive allies at your back, we can answer questions that arise without adding to the confusion."

Jonathan gave off a skeptical look but relented and allowed the pair to follow him to his parents' bedroom. It was squared in design, with a queen-sized bed dominating the space from where it was pushed against the wall opposite the door. The remaining three walls had furniture and things stacked precariously high, but somehow nothing seemed like it might fall. A flat screen TV was sitting on a raised platform in the corner turned toward the bed, blaring various news stories. Finally, next to the bed was a dark blue easy chair, and in it, rested a barrel chested older man with short dark silver hair. His breathing was coming in wet and halted even though a nasal cannula on his face helped pure oxygen enter his weakened lungs from a nearby supply tank. The sight was always able to dim the rookie leader's spirits. His father had never been physically fit in any part of Jonathan's recollection, but there had always been an energy to him that most times could be found in men half his age. To go from _that_ , to someone struggling to simply _breathe_ …

Almost as soon as they crossed the threshold a hefty older woman with wavy salt-n-pepper hair rushed to meet them and began frantically fussing over her son. "God, Jonathan, where have you been?!"

"Relax, Mom I-"

His mother started patting him down in various areas, testing for any breaks or sores. "First you don't come home after work, then your job called wondering where you were…"

" _Mom-_ "

The rookie leader was cut off mid word by the back of a warm hand pressing against his forehead. "Now the radio is talking about this attack in the city and people being evacuated! Your father is in no condition to _move_ , much less leave!"

Jonathan's right eye had begun twitching oddly. "Mom. We can figure out _something_ -"

Yohko grinned and gave off a small giggle at the display, which had the unintended effect of drawing the attention of the force of maternal nature. Now noticing both Iroh and the Devil Hunter behind her son, Jonathan's mother looked on in slight awe. She stared without blinking for several moments, as if trying to confirm that was in front of her eyes before finally speaking. "G _orgeous_."

Yohko took a slight step back as Jonathan's mother moved around her son and let her right hand get close to touching the Devil Hunter's updated uniform. "I've… this has to be the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. You look just stunning! Where'd you find it?"

Jonathan grinned as Yohko was now the one in his mother's sights, and from the looks of things was starting to enjoy the attention. "She made it herself, actually. Yohko's got magic hands for that sort of thing."

The Devil Hunter cocked her head at the rookie leader in confusion while the look from his mother's eyes gained an excited sparkle to them. " _Really?!_ Oh God, it's been ages since I knew anyone who could sew like this! The fabric is just _shimmering_ in the light! Might I see how it feels Miss... Yohko, wasn't it?"

The Devil Hunter nodded and introduced herself with a smile as the Vehan matriarch let her fingers slide across the material of Yohko's uniform only to scrunch up her eyes in budding confusion. "This is… leather? Why in the world would you use _that_ in a dress?"

As Yohko tried to figure out a way to excuse herself without revealing her 'family business', Iroh suddenly stepped into the conversation. "Because it is not a dress, actually, but a fighting uniform. Miss Yohko is a member of an order of fighting women known as Devil Hunters. This whole debacle thus far dropped us from our own dimensions into your son's lap along with all else that has occurred these last few days. Thankfully, Jonathan is a fine young man and has shown himself quite honorable in his aid towards us during our time in the city thus far."

The Vehan matriarch blinked twice before giving off a sudden titter of laughter. "O-other _dimensions_? Haha… Jonathan, what sort of odd game are you-" Suddenly She registered the rest of what Iroh had said and spun back towards her offspring and gave him the look all mothers seem to know. " _Jonathan James Vehan!_ Are you telling me that you've been in that hellhole the city center's become? All This Time?! And you haven't _told me_?!"

Jonathan answered his mother's parental stare with a deadpan look of his own. "How could I? The moment you saw me you've been trying to see if I'm terminal or not- AHH!"

With a speed beyond what her years would seem to allow, Jonathan's mother had snatched his ear in a firm hold, the pain forcing him to bend forward. "Don't you sass _me,_ mister. I know full well how much you take after your father- you've probably already had your fair share of fights _just_ fromsticking your nose in where it doesn't belong, haven't you?!"

"I wouldn't call it my _fair share_ , honestlyiiiIIYAH! Alright, alright, I give! Leggo mom it's tearing!" Though he certainly acted like he was trying to reclaim his ear from his mother's grip, something wouldn't (or couldn't, perhaps) let his actions succeed until she let go of her own accord.

The Vehan matriarch then turned toward the aged firebender and locked eyes with him. "As for you sir, I appreciate that my son has helped you in some way during all this. Frankly, however, I wasn't born yesterday. Now I insist you and this girl explain how you know my son _now._ "

Just then, Jadzia's head poked out from the doorway. "Jon, Ian wants to know the password to your computer so he can show me this century's Datanet." The commander gave off a light smile and introduced herself to the Vehan matriarch before asking Jonathan once more for the password to access his PC. He waved her off, promising to unlock his device for her once everything had been settled.

Dax ducked back out of sight and the trio turned back to Jonathan's mother, only to see that all the color had drained from her face. "M-m-my God. Th-that was Jadzia Dax… from Star Trek. In _my house_."

Iroh offered his arm to help steady the Vehan matriarch. "Madam, perhaps it's best you sit down. We will do our best to answer your questions."

She waved off the firebender's offered hand, but took the offered advice and sat down on the left side of the bed. "Please, call me Sharon. What is going on here?!"

"Well, to start with Mom… what do you remember about Q?"

The rookie leader then told the whole story that had occurred over the last two days, stopping only when Sharon asked for clarification or when Iroh or Yohko chimed in with a better perspective. Obviously to avoid panicking her, Jonathan chose to gloss over the whole drow incident. "And after I realized you'd probably be worried sick about me I decided to come back here. Which leads us to where we are now, Mom. Somehow Q's bet has brought hell down on our heads, _literally_ , and we're stuck trying to figure out a way to fix things."

Sharon took a few seconds to center herself before speaking. "Jonathan, you can't be expected to fix the world's problems all by yourself. Let's just figure out a way to bring help back here so that they can evac your father to safety."

"You _just said_ he wasn't fit to move, much less be evac'd! Even if we-" The rookie leader was cut off as a wet hacking cough burst from his father's throat, along with specks of dark red fluid. In a matter of instants three things occurred: The Vehan matriarch was at her husband's side, trying to figure out what had just gone wrong with him. Jonathan rushed to the other side of the easy chair, only to watch as his father's chest quivered, then become still. Shouting drew Ian and Dax from the other room, only to find a mother and son huddled around the father's pale, deathly still form…

… until Jonathan's hands, which were desperately gripping his father's arm, started to glow with bright golden light.

A brief flash of light came from the rookie leader's hands, blinding all present. Almost as soon as their collective vision cleared, a shuddering gasp came from Jonathan's father, before color returned to his skin and a deep snore rumbled from his frame.

Seconds passed as everyone there tried to understand what had occurred. Finally, the Vehan matriarch worked up the nerve to speak. "Son… What did you just _do_?"

The rookie leader could only shrug his shoulders as he looked at his hands like they were something new. Dax, for her part, began scanning Jonathan's father with her tricorder. Her expressions quickly shifted from concerned to astonished. "His metabolic rate is elevated, pulse and respiration are at ideal levels… and I'm detecting an odd radiation pattern. Doesn't seem to be high enough to cause damage, but it's all throughout his system."

The lieutenant commander then shifted the device's focus around the room, settling on each person for an instant before turning it on herself. "We all have the same signature, but in Jon's case it's several magnitudes stronger. Same situation also, our metabolic rates are elevated."

Jonathan crossed his arms in front of himself. "You can't tell me that's the end of it, Dax. I did not just imitate a strobe light for the sole purpose of pepping us all up."

Iroh smiled and gave off an upper body stretch suddenly. "More than merely 'pepping us up', I think. I was still feeling some of the exertion from our time in the city proper, and now I feel as if I just came off a weekend at the Cherry Blossom Inn in the Colonies. Most refreshing."

The feeling was soon mutual among everyone else in the bedroom, including Jonathan's mother, who had noticed that an old shoulder injury of hers seemed to have vanished completely. Sharon then turned to leave the room, mumbling something about a half remembered recipe. With the tension in the room fading from this shared sense of rejuvenation, Jonathan's team retreated to his own bedroom to make further plans for what might come.

The next few hours passed uneventfully for the household, with a few minor exceptions. The biggest, and in Jonathan's opinion Best, exception came once his father woke up from his rest. For the first time in over 3 months the head of the household stood up from his easy chair and _walked_ under his own power without assistance or his oxygen tank. And he was famished, so much so that his desire for a repast awoke everyone else's appetite. So after a little work clearing out the dining room and dusting off a few antique chairs, all seven people sat to a meal swiftly crafted by both father and mother.

It was a mishmash of various foods, Hamburger Helper alongside chicken pot pies mixed with steamed spinach, corn and carrots. Add in Diet Coke and Iroh's teas for the drinks of choice and you have the makings of a well deserved Vehan family meal. The dinner conversation, however, was not what the rookie leader was hoping for…

"So there's Jonathan marchin' up with all his classmates to get his diploma… and of course my son can't help but go over the top like always. He starts making a big show of giving little bows and waving his cap all the way to the podium, only to remember when he gets there that he'd put his announcement card _under his hat_ right before he started!" Jonathan's father gave off a barking laugh before he wolfed down several bites of his pot pie. After washing it down with his soda, he continued the tale. "So he has to run where the damn thing fell, and scurry right back. Just as he gets there, he stepped on the hem of his robe or something since he tripped right at the podium steps and plops flat on the ground right there in front of the dean. To top it all off, as soon as he shakes it off he stands up and says 'Guess this's what the counselor meant by graduation being painful for some.' The whole place explodes laughing as Jonathan realized he'd said it loud enough for the mic to hear. Sharon's mortified of course, I was too busy laughing myself!"

The reactions from the rest of the table were mixed: Ian howled with laughter at the imagery the story invoked, Iroh gave a polite chuckle but was far more interested in his serving of Hamburger Helper, Dax didn't laugh but could be seen hiding a smile behind her glass of soda, Jonathan's mother stared hotly at her son and the rookie leader had the good sense to look somewhat embarrassed. "Hey, it worked out in the end, didn't it? Besides, right after that one of the guys in charge got a hold of my info and swore up and down that I'd join the immortal greats who'd pulled off their own pranks as well!"

Yohko, however, had been barely paying attention during the whole thing. Instead she'd been stealing glances at Jonathan the entire time, trying to work up the nerve to confront him about what had happened earlier. Back during Ian's time possessed, she too had heard the spirit bragging about how close Jon was to becoming a Devil Hunter himself. At the time she had thought there had been no possible way for such a thing to happen, the rookie leader was a man after all. In all one hundred eight recorded generations of the Mano family none of the few men sired ever showed signs of inheriting the power. But now, here, after three days of interaction the rookie leader had pulled off one of the few abilities that could do more than simply harm. And _without_ _the aid of a Ring or Talisman_ no less. Inwardly, the Devil Hunter cringed at the thought of her grandmother's reaction upon seeing such a display.

' _A_ man _did that?! Yohko, you'd better damn make sure that man's essence is brought into the Mano clan as soon as possible! Hell, get your cousin and the Azusas in on it if you have to sweeten the deal… the more babies you kids make, the safer the world's gonna be!'_

'Ok maybe she wouldn't go _that_ far… but she'd definitely want me to seduce him at the very least.' Absentmindedly Yohko's thoughts drifted further down their current path as she glanced back at the rookie leader. An instant later, the Devil Hunter rose from her seat and asked if she and Jonathan could be excused for a few minutes. There were curious smiles from both of the rookie leader's parents, but they were allowed to vacate the table.

The pair made their way to Jonathan's bedroom and shut the door. Inside were various wall scrolls covering the white walls, a large bed holding the far corner all to itself, and a large and cluttered light brown computer desk opposite the bed with a flatscreen TV perched on the top shelf. Two bookcases loaded down with manga and various novels were at the other two corners, one holding a triangle-folded American flag in a sealed wooden case with a glass lid. The devil hunter took the leather rolling office chair at his desk as her seat while the rookie leader plopped on his bed and made himself comfortable. "Well Yohko, this'd better be good. Otherwise we're gonna have to come up with a good excuse as to why I haven't taken advantage of a girl in my room."

Yohko wasn't having any of it as she leveled a stern glare at the rookie leader, who managed to get the message and lift himself into a lotus position as he focused on the Devil Hunter. "This is serious Jon. That technique you pulled off is a sign that you really are about to mature as a Devil Hunter!"

Jonathan folded his arms in front of himself and nodded. "So I've heard. Demon says I'm changing then I pull off 'Lay on Hands' in my parents' bedroom, sounds like a pattern to me."

The way he said that in such an apathetic manner startled Yohko somewhat. "Jon… you _do_ realize what this means, right? You can fight these monsters directly! The both of us could nip this invasion in the bud before it overruns this country!"

The devil hunter gained a sparkle in her eye at the thought of not facing this threat by herself, since it was clear that whatever Netherrealm they came from, these were not the adversaries of her ancestors. The rookie leader's mood shifted further in the opposite direction however, something Yohko finally noticed as she saw the man shrink in on himself more and more. Didn't he want to protect his home?

"Jon, what's the matter with you?"

"What if… I don't _want_ this power?"

Yohko opened her mouth to further her point but quickly closed it when memories of her own maturation flew past her mind's eye. _She_ had felt put upon also once her grandmother had dumped the whole story of the 'family business' on her back when she was in high school. Why wouldn't Jonathan feel the same way? Then again…

"Jon. As far as I, _and_ my grandmother _ever_ knew, whenever any member of my family failed or refused to complete the process of becoming a devil hunter… they died a few months later."

The rookie leader paled considerably at that little revelation. "So it's convert or die? _No matter what_?"

The devil hunter shrugged. "As far as I know. Honestly though, aside from the whole… exhibition problem... " Yohko's cheeks reddened slightly. "It's not so bad being a Devil Hunter."

In a split second Jonathan was staring down Yohko with a severe half-lidded stare. "Your first crush ended up being used as a mobile blood bank by a neophyte Black Queen."

He kept his gaze locked firmly on Yohko as he uncrossed his legs and slid off the bed. "You then fought tooth and nail for a prince who you were certain loved you, only to find out that all that hard work was to free two lovers imprisoned by a Dragon God that took heavy handed parenting to a whole other level."

The rookie leader clamped both armrests tight, one in each hand, and closed the gap until only a few scant inches was all that remained between him and the devil hunter. "You were then attacked by your clan's sworn enemy-slash-original source of your Ring's power and only managed to stop him _after_ being impaled by his big ass claws and flung back to the time of the 1st Devil Hunter, Haruka. And all these things occurred in _your first year as a Hunter._ "

Yohko eyes fluttered as she didn't really know what to make of Jonathan's little monologue just now. "U-um… well. W-what's your point?"

The rookie leader took a step back and folded his arms in front of himself. "My point is: You had resources, training, and backup at your start and you _just squeezed by_. How the utter _Hell_ am I supposed to match that with none of the above _plus_ a demonic invasion already underway?!"

"You do not. Rather, it is in these times that you trust your teammates, and through them, gain the strengths needed to counter your own weakness."

Jon and Yohko turned toward the voice, and noticed Iroh standing in the doorway with his sleeves pressed together. Behind him were Dax and Ian and the rookie leader could just make out the heads of his father and mother in the back. Jon locked eyes with Iroh's smiling face for an instant before replying. "...deal. But if I find a way to lose these powers without dying, I'm taking it. I am _not_ doing the whole 'Power Corrupts' scenario if I can help it."

The aged firebender gave a nod in agreement to the set terms while Yohko pointed out that if Jon slept with somebody before the next few months pass, his powers should disappear just like they had with her mother. The rookie leader could only roll his eyes while giving his swollen gut a solid slap. While Jonathan wasn't horrendously obese by any stretch, it _was,_ in his opinion, one of the bigger reasons for his consistent failure at attracting the fairer sex."Yea, that option… kinda exists… but then finding a girl willing to hide her eyes long enough till the deed is done while everything goes to Hell in a handbasket 'round the both of us…" His deadpan expression told all present how likely he thought that plan was to succeed. "You don't haveta be a genius to see where this path leads."

Ian smirked lightly. "Um, dude… escorts _are_ a thing, you know."

The rebuttal was swift. "Um, dude. STDs _are_ a thing, y'know."

The neophyte psychic gave off a shrug, but not otherwise conceding the point. Suddenly Ian's eyes shot open as his posture stiffened. "...Jon. _Duck._ "

Jonathan gave his friend a confused look moments before said friend thrust out his hand and an invisible force shoved the rookie leader down. Good thing too, as a fraction of a second later a small dark blur burst through a nearby window but suddenly came to a stop almost exactly where Jon's head had been earlier. However, given that the tiny oddity was now writhing and twisting about in midair, it was a safe bet that it wasn't hovering now by choice. It looked like someone had taken a cat twinned it's dark, bushy tail. Shimmering midnight colored fur covered the whole of it's body, which was… rather large for what seemed to be a cat. The tips of it's tails, ears, and all four feet held a dark blue tint that helped accent the rest of it coat.

No one spoke for a few moments while the creature continued to try and break free of the invisible force holding it captive. Then the devil hunter's voice calmly rang out. "Ian, that was you pushing Jon down just now, right?"

The neophyte psychic grunted a bit from the building strain, but was able to respond in the affirmative. "If I'd had more time to think I might've pushed him _away_ instead of down there."

'There' referred to the… unfortunate... fact that the rookie leader was still in a position over the devil hunter when Ian warned him to move out of the way. As a result, when he was forced down by the neophyte psychic's power, his head was planted quite firmly in Yohko's ample bosom. Realizing where his forehead now rested, Jonathan completely froze and stayed still even after the pressure upon his back and shoulders had released. He finally straightened up after Ian pointed out that the tiny attacker was floating right next to him, and it was, still squirming and wriggling for any sort of release.

The rookie leader glumly locked eyes with the devil hunter, who simply looked at him neutrally. Jon opened his mouth a couple of times with the first syllables of a reply on his lips, but shut it both times as his brain struggled to find an answer that wouldn't get him knocked out by the knockout. Finally he gave off a large sigh and said, "I've got nothing. Fire away, Yohko. Just don't break anything up here."

The rookie leader closed his eyes and held that position for a few moments, awaiting the feminine firestorm that was due any minute… Only to hear the woman in front of him give off a snort of laughter at the same time several chuckles and snickers came from the group nearby. Even the cat-like creature had ceased it's struggling in favor of the developing scene before it. Yohko calmly stood up from the chair and lightly tapped Jon on the nose. As he opened his eyes in reflex the first thing he saw was Yohko giving him a teasing grin. "Don't ask Ian to be your wingman next time you want to be so forward with me."

The devil hunter then stepped away towards the unexpected visitor. Jonathan could only wonder at how he'd somehow gotten away free and clear before tabling that mystery for another time, this odd twin-tailed cat took precedence.

As everyone focused on the new arrival, it in turn gave its full attention to the devil hunter and renewed the effort to break free from the neophyte psychic's grasp. And much to the shock of everyone there, it wasn't limited to physical action. "Release me, Traitor! Those humans are a threat to everything!"

"Huh… talking animal mascot…" Jonathan grinned as his comment managed to turn the large critter into a hissing, wriggling ball of fur. Turning to the one he thought the cat was talking about, the rookie leader adopted a shocked look to his face. "Ian, how could you betray the cause like this?!"

Ian's face was growing flushed as new and unusual kinds of strain assailed his mind and so, he managed to respond to the verbal jab with a dig of his own. "I can't help it Jon, you're the 'loyal dog', not me. Now could you or Yohko _please_ kill this thing already? It's getting harder to hold it up like this…"

The ebon-furred feline stopped squirming and hissing once it heard _that_ , and started looking decidedly nervous as Yohko summoned her Soul Sword. The devil hunter raised her weapon high, and was just about to let the blade fall when the cat spoke up again. "W-wait! WAIT! I can be of help to you! I can serve you! S-surely one such as I is insignificant compared to the bigger prey I could lead you to… fiercer youkai, stronger youkai! One such monster is near! Spare me, and I shall lead you to his new lair!"

The blade stayed where it had been raised, it's owner wondering aloud if they should take the cat up on the offer, given the logic of taking out the more ferocious fiends first and foremost. Jonathan couldn't help but show interest, but Ian was quick to remind Jon of feline nature; specifically that cats were 'self-interested sociopaths', as he put it. The cat in turn redoubled its efforts to convince them of the sincerity of the offer. Ultimately, the rookie leader agreed to the terms, a decision helped along by his mother and father taking a single good look at the ebon-furred feline and in the next instant showering heaps of affection upon it.

The cat, who introduced himself as Raiga, quickly found himself enjoying the new state of affairs after his release. "...Yesss… no, to th- _yessssss_ …"

Everyone had moved back to the dining table to chat and deal with the leftovers, meaning the newest member of Jonathan's team was learning first hand what a family of cat lovers could do for his stress level. After gaining a belly full of meat and more belly rubs then a day spa the ebon-furred feline was ready to die happy… Or at least shake himself to death with how strongly he was purring. In between bouts of attention from Jon's father and mother, the rookie leader was able to learn more about the 'bigger game' Raiga promised. "Firrr~stly, you must head east, till you reach the glass tower that sits along the bank of the great winding road. It is there that my old masterrrrRRrrrr, Tenrou-ryuu, has crafted a lair for himself…"

From his new position sitting to the left of the Vehan matriarch, Jonathan held his chin in a thinking pose and gathered his thoughts for a minute or so. "Tenrou-ryuu… I can pick out 'dragon' and 'heaven', but the middle part escapes me."

Yohko spoke up an instant later. "It means 'wolf', Jon. The whole name altogether means 'Imperial Wolf Dragon' in english. In old myths back home, dragons were seen as minor gods, usually kind to people that lived near them… unless you pissed them off in some way. Then whole towns could be wiped off the map by the dragon taking revenge. This Tenrou-ryuu might've managed to slay an actual dragon and steal its power for himself, since lightning is supposed to be a holy element."

Jonathan's father interjected suddenly. "Son, I get that I'm outta the loop for much of what's been going on, but what's it matter what this Ten Yo-yo's name means?"

The unintentional mangling of the demon's name left the rookie leader howling in laughter. Which meant the devil hunter was left to explain things. "Basically, Mr. Vehan, the names of most creatures in Japanese myth tend to identify their traits... though this is the first I've heard of something like this."

The Vehan patriarch nodded in understanding. "You can learn something about these things by the name they have… and please, call me Jon. My father was Mr. Vehan."

"That joke's old enough to belong to grandpa also."

Jon gave his son a deadpan look while Raiga diverted the discussion back on course. "It is hard to know if that is true for my former master, but his control over lightning and thunder is very real." The nekomata began rolling onto his side on instinct and ended up sliding right off of his warm human perch. After everyone calmed down from laughing, Raiga hopped up upon the table top and continued speaking. "The tower holds great amounts of energy within strange metal veins that line the walls all throughout the structure. From its flat apex, he has begun to siphon as much power as he can so as to cement his hold upon his new territory. This has also attracted youkai of similar persuasion that barter service in exchange for being allowed to draw from the tower as well."

"Sounds like this 'wolf dragon' figured out how to tap into the city electric grid…" Dax commented from her seat. Seconds later, her eyes lit up. "..So _maybe_ we could make things easier on us if we cut the power to the whole building before engaging it!"

"It would serve to draw the beast and his minions to us, so it would be best to divide our forces and maintain the element of surprise." The aged firebender stroked his beard thoughtfully, already seeing the possible reactions of demons that had their energy source suddenly cut off. Ideas were further bounced back and forth until a plan of attack was settled upon. As the sun rose in the east the coming day, Jonathan's team would journey to Tenrou-ryuu's lair to deal with the threat this demon would cause to the surrounding area.

By the time it set in the west that evening, the Legend of the Crusader would have begun… with the death of a comrade.

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Chapter End.


	2. Bon Voyage, Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, ideas, or concepts borrowed for this story. I just wish to create tales to tell to all who would listen.

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Chapter 2: Bon Voyage, Friend

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In grand epic tales, a journey to conquer a mighty monster had always begun at dawn, to reach the beast's lair with as much daylight as possible as well as provide a beautiful sight for those about to risk their own lives against an enemy possibly too strong to defeat. For people that work nights consistently, such as the rookie leader, Jonathan Vehan, this is an impossible tradition to uphold. At least he said as much when questioned the next morning about how a growing threat to the safety of the Dallas suburbs could somehow wait until noon.

The current demon expert, Yohko Mano, wasn't impressed. "Jon, the longer we let Tenrouryuu gather energy, the bigger a threat he's gonna be!"

Jonathan sighed and turned away from his internal debate about taking his leather gauntlets for some manner of extra protection in the fight to come. He'd exchanged his warm green flannel shirt and blue jeans for his favorite ensemble: a grey checkered button shirt with a collar over a dark blue T-shirt and black jeans. The steel toe boots from before remained since they'd more than proven their worth yesterday. "An office building was never meant to handle the drain from a supernatural entity, so either he's already tripped the breaker box for the entire building, or he's taking small enough sips that it would take days for him to get any real strength going. He's only been here for what, three?"

The rookie leader faced Yohko who'd taken a seat upon his bed, lotus style. She now was much more comfortable in a thick pastel yellow sweater and beige slacks that had been among the various items she and Dax had purchased on their little shopping trip earlier. The Devil Hunter quickly answered his flippant look with a miffed one. "Time doesn't matter in things like this. Demons arrive with power! It'll only get worse from here, Jon, we need to GO!"

"...Ok, I'll give you that one, Yohko. But I'd rather leave when all of us were together, and Ian hasn't shown up from his house yet. You heard Dad; it's a madhouse out there…" Jonathan's father had heard about what had been left behind in their motel room and had managed to drive there in the wee hours of the morning. Iroh accompanied him to empty out the rented space, and the both of them returned with the team's new clothes and Dax's equipment and parts.

Along the way, the pair of elderly men had had to fend off events like giant centipedes erupting from the ground right in the middle of the road to attack a wyvern staking out territory or looters hoping to cash in on the chaos. Which wouldn't be so difficult to handle if it weren't for the fact one of them figured out how to fling fireballs also. Suffice it to say, Mr. Vehan was genuinely convinced of his son's explanation by the time he and the retired general returned home. Yohko quickly crafted barriers around the Vehan family home, which helped to hide and protect the house from any intruders.

Unfortunately for the rookie leader, the report of what was outside their home had the added effect of upsetting Mrs. Vehan. Meaning for the last few hours she'd been trying everything she could think of to convince her son not to journey with his new friends, which was slowly driving him nuts as the Devil Hunter continued to urge haste at the same time. Finally, Jon put his foot down on both arguments. They would leave at a specific time and no sooner, giving Jonathan a chance to get some practice in with his new healing powers. Afterwards, he would be going along with his new team so that those same powers could have a chance to save their lives if they were needed. Mrs. Vehan could only take the decision poorly, choosing to remain in the master bedroom and sulk, idly petting Raiga and watching the news stations to see how the rest of the world was fairing.

It wasn't good news.

Ever since the initial breakout the day before, strange creatures had begun to appear and make their presence known. Animals had started growing to double their average size or bigger and escape from zoos and other such places, running wild and causing harm whenever they came into contact with people. Some even began showing signs of higher intelligence and spiritual powers as they started carving out homes and hunting grounds for themselves and their kin. People were changing as well, showing great flashes of magic and abilities under moments of mortal peril.

And it was spreading. Already the quarantine had been abandoned as those within it swarmed the cordon, fleeing everything that had been happening and continued to occur. It almost made one forget that actual demons were still running about the place.

...unless one found himself hosting one of those said demons as an impromptu pet.

About this time Jonathan was brought back to the present by the Devil Hunter starting up her argument again for just going now and letting Ian catch up with them later. The rookie leader wasn't in a mood to repeat himself, so he merely interrupted Yohko before she got up to speed. "Yohko, would it be rude to ask you to annoy Dax for more martial arts lessons while we wait for Ian to get his ass over here finally?"

The devil hunter halted mid-sentence, before blanching slightly. "I still can't believe how good that woman is at martial arts!" She tucked into herself some with a slight pout.

Jon grinned instead, remembering how he had received his crash course in being a white mage. After the planning session the night before, Jadzia felt the need to work off the late dinner with a bit of sparring before bed. Yohko, feeling invigorated at the thought of not being the only Devil Hunter for much longer agreed to participate. For the next two hours, Dax's martial arts skills continuously planted Yohko into the ground like a turnip.

That wasn't to say that Yohko was unskilled, having been taught hand-to-hand fighting from her grandma since she was a little girl, but the Dax symbiote had had four hosts continue to master the Klingon martial arts learned from Emory when it had been her turn. Adding Jadzia's time to it was comparing 171 years to Yohko's 20. The fact that rookie leader used in his reply.

"She's got almost nine times the experience in hand-to-hand that you do, girl. Don't take it so hard. Besides, ' _there's always someone better,_ ' right?" Jonathan's grin brightened further as the devil hunter seemed to let her mood improve at his words. "And think of it this way, how much better could you be against your grandma if you let yourself polish your skills against Dax?"

The pout returned swiftly. "Grandma's been slowing down a lot since those movies, Jon. a couple of years ago I had to stop sparring with her because one of my strikes in a practice match fractured her forearm."

Jonathan's grin vanished immediately, and a simple whispered 'oh' all he could say in reply. The pair then made their way outside to the backyard, where Jadzia and Iroh were deep in a game of chess. "So who's winning you guys?"

Neither one dared to answer, both of them so engrossed in the match before them. The rookie leader and devil hunter watched on as the retired general reached a decision and shifted his bishop in a diagonal line that crossed half of the board to box in Dax's king against his rook. "It would seem I am finally getting the hang of this interesting game."

The lieutenant commander just raised an eyebrow before she moved her queen straight ahead to knock over Iroh's king. "Not quite, General. But honestly, you are improving fast. Benjamin took three weeks to get this far."

Iroh merely bowed his head in defeat, though a smile ghosted across his face. "To never know defeat is never to learn." With that, he calmly started resetting the board pieces for another game later.

Jonathan then uttered the words that he would quickly come to regret. "Man… wish I could always lose a game that gracefully."

Dax turned to face the rookie leader, and her smile turned devious. "Be careful what you wish for, Jon. I think I should take a cue from Curzon and help you get the hang of chess also."

Jonathan blinked twice before shaking his head back and forth swiftly. "Ohhhh no… nope. Nyet. Nein. Tondemonai. No way, no how, no chance."

Yohko somehow got on board with Jadzia's scheme in that split second and helped Iroh maneuver the rookie leader into the now vacated seat opposite Dax, who offered her take on Jon's rebuttal. "Ohhhh Yes. Da. Ja. Hai. Right here, right now, no waiting."

The three of them started laughing in earnest over the sour look Jonathan's face gained as he resigned himself to getting his can kicked in chess. The rookie leader had the initial move, and from there the game was on. The first half went as expected, Jonathan tried his best, but his inexperience with the game was comically obvious. However, just as Dax removed his second rook and was moving in to take his king, the rookie leader's skill seemed to jump up several levels suddenly. Ultimately, he turned the tide against Dax and with a smug grin flicked over her king in a victory. "Not that that wasn't fun, Dax, but I thought you were supposed to be teaching me this game, not handing me wins for my benefit."

His grin quickly evaporated as he looked at each one of his friend's faces. They all were looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "What? What'd I say?"

"Jon, at the end there I was playing you honestly… and you still beat me _easily_." The lieutenant commander sat back in her chair while absent-mindedly replaying the game back in her head. "It's like I was playing a different player entirely."

Iroh had linked his sleeves together and tilted his head in a thoughtful gesture. "Indeed. Your moves were disjointed and clumsy at first, and then you began anticipating Lieutenant Dax's strategy flawlessly. Do you always take time like that to learn how an opponent moves?"

"The hell are you all talking about? Dax _told me_ how to beat her. She had me on the ropes, and then I hear her start giving me hints on which pieces to move. After that, bam." The rookie leader was growing quite confused. Everyone was acting as he had won without any coaching. "Guys… _seriously_. That wasn't me!"

Just then, a light tinkling sound could be heard, almost like a chipmunk learning how to laugh. Four sets of eyes finally looked skyward, only to see a massive fluttering butterfly fade into view. At least, you would call it a butterfly until you noticed the humanoid form attached to the wings. Still laughing, the small creature drifted down until she landed neatly upon the head of the white king piece before looking Jonathan in the face with a happy grin on her own. "It most certainly wasn't. But I was getting bored watching the Dax-thing win every time… so I helped you."

There was a collective blink-blink shared by everyone present. Jonathan took in the little dress made of sewn leaves, long dark hair held in a ponytail by a daisy in bloom, and bright green eyes in a barbie-doll sized body before recognition shined in the rookie leader's eyes. "Dax. Get Walt Disney on the horn; I think I just found one of his props."

The mini-she with wings cutely stomped her foot in seeming aggravation. "How rude! I should make you into a bullfrog for that! I am nothing like those tittering bells with legs!"

For some reason, hearing all that in a high pitch was enough to make Jonathan smile. "Just try it, I'll eat you."

"You wouldn't dare! The queen would hunt you down and see your belly split open a thousand times just to see me returned safely!" The rookie leader raised an eyebrow before smirking and giving off a loud croak before licking his lips.

"Faeries… Mmm. Mmm. _Good_."

The tiny fae sputtered trying to come up with some rebuttal, before quivering in place, and finally exploding with laughter so hard she fell from her perch. Several chess pieces were knocked over with her landing upon the checkered playing board, rolled off the side of the table, and would have fallen onto the ground below had Jonathan not gently caught and cradled her in his hands. After a few moments passed, the little sprite had finally run through her fit of giggles and calmed back down. "You have impressed me with your wit and courage, human. I choose to grace you with my presence and assistance as a reward."

Jonathan stated at the offer with a raised eyebrow before he could grasp what she was talking about. "...Oh God, I've got a Navi on my case now…"

The little fae gasped before breaking out into a wide grin. "I _looove_ that game! You'd let me go by 'Navi'? Oooooh, you're the Bestest Human Ever!"

With a giggle, the newly christened Navi began encircling the rookie leader's head planting little kisses as she went. Almost immediately this proved slightly ticklish as Jonathan tried half-heartedly to shield his head while smothering giggles of his own. "H-how haha -ow do y-gheehee- you know about gahHEha! 'Ocarina of Time'?"

The specks of affection suddenly stopped. After a few seconds, the rookie leader unwrapped his arms from around his head slightly, allowing him to see Navi hovering in front of his face with a smile. "We've been able to see what humans have been doing for centuries. We just couldn't interact with you because of the Veil."

Jonathan would've asked what the Veil could be had the little fae not given his nose one last surprise kiss before she fluttered over to his right shoulder and sat down. Ian compounded the interruption by finally arriving at the rookie leader's home, which meant a few moments later the whole group began the trek to Tenrouryuu's lair on foot.

The group followed Hollywood Ave. until it connected with Twelfth St., then turned in the direction of the former Bank of America office building and moved steadily towards it. Aside from a few abandoned vehicles and the stray hole in the tarmac, the road was deserted. Along the way, Dax couldn't help but wonder aloud about Navi requiring a nickname despite just meeting everyone less than a half hour ago. The little fae only pointed out that giving away her True Name to strangers was just asking to be summoned and bound under another's control via the proper spell. The lieutenant commander inquired further, confused as to why that should be an issue.

Ian stepped in at that point to enlighten her. "Dax, names are tied to a person's identity. And magic can lock onto that part of you when it's got a handhold like that. From there, well… you've heard of remote piloting, right? That's just the start of what can happen to you."

Dax paled significantly and stumbled before continuing down the path. "That… That's not possible."

"It most certainly _is_. And when a _warlock_ of all things tells you so, you'd best believe it!" Navi quickly flittered and fluttered about nervously, doing everything she could to keep her distance away from Ian.

Something Jonathan couldn't help but notice. "Navi, you're acting like a bird that caught sight of a big ol' cat. Settle down." Suddenly, a thought struck the rookie leader, causing him to stop walking, which in turn did the same for everyone else who wasn't flying around people's heads. "Hold up. Since when is Ian a warlock?!"

"Dunno when, but I can tell that he is, for sure. I can smell the stench of the invaders on him." Navi began waving her arms in Ian's direction, and sure enough, tiny motes of light began gathering around her. "Just hold still, you… and I will make this quick."

Jonathan's hand suddenly blocked Navi's vision, forcing her to stop her casting and turn back to face him. "Ian's got the scent of a demon on him 'cause one of 'em took his body for a joyride. For some reason, when it was stopped, Ian kept some of the powers the demon used while in his body. But make no mistake Navi… that was done _to him_ , not for him."

"Thanks for the support, Jon, but I think I can handle a Disney prop without too much trouble." The newly named warlock started laughing alongside his longtime friend as the little fae began berating the both of them for daring to call her the same thing.

Suddenly, Raiga tensed slightly. An instant later two dark colored wolves, easily the size of horses, burst through a nearby house and encircled the group before anything could be done to stop it.

If that wasn't startling enough, someone had been making other 'improvements' to these two. " _Geh-heh-heh-heh! Look, Brother, it's that weakling that thought he could run with us! Looks like he settled for humans and their soft lives instead._ " This sharp cackle came from the more feral looking of the pair, with wide, bloodshot eyes and his tongue lolling in his panting mouth. " _Should I take the nice fat one over here… or perhaps one of the nice smelling females?_ "

" _Think it through, Brother. Given how small they are, it shouldn't be too hard to run them down one at a time. Then all our family may feed tonight._ " Spoke the more serious of the pair; his fur was a bit more black to his sibling's brown and had a wicked smirk somehow noticeable on his lupine face.

The pair of them herded the rookie leader's team to the middle of the roadway and began to close the loop slowly. Jonathan moved closer to Iroh and whispered lightly in his ear. "Iroh, think you might be able to test how smart these oversized guard dogs are?"

The wilder wolf snapped his jaws at Jonathan's flank, forcing him instinctively to jump back a bit. " _We are smart enough, human. It's an easy thing for us to understand your little yips now._ "

The rookie leader smirked in turn at the massive beast. "How'd you solve your fire problem?"

The wolven brothers ceased their pacing with confused looks on their faces, an instant before recognition filled the retired general's eyes. He whipped his right arm out in a full arc, and a ring of flames answered his call, singeing the beasts and forcing them back. "You are fortunate I figured out what you were hinting at, my young friend. Next time might not be so easy for me or the rest of us."

Jonathan shrugged with an easy-going look on his face. "Yea, I'll try to think up some easy signal for 'Make Fire.' While I do, how about Ian and Dax get in some target practice with my new throw rugs?"

Ian quickly got a telekinetic grip on the animals and hoisted them up into the air. But Dax never got a chance to try a few potshots since a tiny glittering dart zipped towards the two struggling wolves and spun around them multiple times with high speed. Within moments, both of them ceased their movements and hung merely where the neophyte warlock had them, breathing but unresponsive.

Everyone just stared gobsmacked as the mote of light dimmed to show Navi fluttering happily in front of them. "Th-there. Now we can just… ignore them." The little fae's flight path grew erratic as she made her way to the rest of the group, reaching Jonathan an instant before her strength gave out, and she fell into his hands.

Though there was an air of concern for Navi's welfare, the tension from earlier had all but evaporated from the group. Then Jonathan stiffened suddenly with eyes narrowed. "Ian, drop the dogs and bring me that snake disguised as a cat. **Now.** "

Raiga bolted for some nearby bushes but the neophyte warlock was just a tiny bit faster, and soon Raiga was back to a hissing, writhing ball of midnight blue fur hovering a foot away from Jonathan's face. "What is this betrayal?! I am as good as my word, leading you to Tenrouryuu's lair… and now you treat me like an enemy? Release me!"

The rookie leader crossed his arms in front of himself as a scowl deepened on his face. "You sure are, Raiga, especially when you failed to mention your little side plan to all of us. That's why you forced your way into my house yesterday, isn't it? You were trying to get your _kill quota_ so they'd let you in the club."

The nekomata froze after hearing that, which gave Jonathan all the proof he needed. "Yohko, is there any charm or spell to turn a youkai into a Familiar?"

"Wait, whoa, Time Out! Jon, what's going on?! I feel like I'm joining a soap opera midway through the show, here..." The rookie leader's anger ebbed as he took in what the devil hunter was saying to him.

After checking with Ian to see if he was able to hold the youkai in place for a bit longer, Jonathan elaborated his position. "Navi can read surface thoughts, remember? She tuned into the head of both those pups over there to hopefully get some intel on where we're going but caught an announcement from our target instead. He wants all the humans in this area driven off or eradicated, so Tenrouryuu has offered a place in his pack to any youkai that can bring two or more bodies back to him as proof of their skill."

Everyone began to glare at Raiga with growing distaste except for the neophyte warlock, who just grinned in the rookie leader's direction. "Hey, Jon… _called it.~_ " Ian stretched out his L's and I's with great satisfaction. "So can we kill him _now_ , like we should've done last night?"

The rookie leader seemed to mull it over for a moment, before shaking his head. "No. A part of me would love to see him fileted for his little scheme, but right now, any help I can get is needed until things calm down. Afterwards? Who knows, man?" The neophyte warlock pouted in response.

It was then that Jadzia spoke up. "Allies are all well and good, but why trust this one specifically after all he's planned to do?"

"First: He's already here and in our custody. Second: Youkai means 'monster' for a reason, betrayal is in their nature. But I still need all the help I can get, which leads into Three: That's what the binding is for, Insurance." Jonathan then repeated his question to the devil hunter. Yohko, in turn, admitted that she knew of a spell that could bind lower youkai and creatures to a human's will. With that public knowledge in hand, the rookie leader turned to the nekomata once again. "There's your choices Raiga: Servitude to me, or at least to my mom if you don't know of any more demonic squatters that need eviction… or I let Ian and Yohko figure out who gets to bisect you. Choose. Now."

Raiga had ceased his struggling and just floated in place while keeping his eyes locked firmly on Jonathan. Seconds later, a hissing sound coming from the nekomata broke his silence and turned into a low, bitter laugh. "Why not? Your mother is rather comfortable. But even with me at your side, you have little chance against a monster of his caliber. You all shall die, and I shall attempt, at least, to escape in all the gory feasting aftermath. Does this meet with your approval, _master_?"

The rookie leader just gave his own Cheshire grin in response. "As long as you don't stab us in the back first, I can live with that possibility."

The nekomata lowered his head in surrender and remained stationary even after Ian let him drop back to earth. Everyone then took a small rest break right there as Yohko started putting together what she needed for the ritual. As Azusa proved in the second Devil Hunter film, ritual spells usually required material components as well as an area explicitly marked to channel mystical forces to keep everything energized.

But for spells that involved Devil Hunters - or those that would soon become same - methods of brute forcing a result had been discovered over the centuries. Such was the case now, as Yohko instructed Jon in how to make a connection to Raiga's spirit using his new power. The process was swift, involving the rookie leader putting the palm of his right hand upon the nekomata's forehead and concentrating while the Devil Hunter used her energies to help guide everything along.

What resulted was not what Yohko was expecting. A sudden thundercrack and burst of light pushed the three of them away from each other, leaving two people staring dumbly at the result of the spell. The nekomata was now a size rivaling that of a German shepherd. The fur at his upper chest and tail tips gained a more spiked, wild appearance while his eyes held a bright blue glow. Random sparks danced across his new form as the youkai looked himself over as if for the first time. A moment later the nekomata's body shifted back to normal.

Raiga regained his senses quickly, and in the next instant spun to face the rookie leader bowing his head gravely. "Master! To you, I pledge myself 'til the end of days, in exchange for this power bestowed upon me!"

"Uhh… sure man. I might need to figure out what I just gave you first though…" Jonathan turned to face Yohko at his left for answers, only to see her puzzling out things herself. He then turned to everyone else in the group in turn for their take on things. Dax had her tricorder out again and focused on the data displayed on her device. Iroh had moved away to deal with the wolves before they could regain their senses, and had just managed to get them to leave in a random direction before the bang went off.

Ian had focused on the demonstration and its aftermath, so he met the rookie leader's gaze with his own while adding a grin as well. "First a demon cat, now a little faerie. But how are you going for a full six team without any Poke Balls?"

Jonathan's eyes drooped in a half-lidded stare. "Ian. Shut-."

A resounding boom suddenly preempted the rookie leader, forcing everyone to turn in the direction of the sound. From their location, the former office complex was now in view…

Its upper floors were ablaze. As the stunned group looked on, various colored dots of light flew into the smoldering sides of the building, blasting out further damage as they made an impact. On the ground floor, one glass wall of the complex had a gaping hole in it, with more wolves running in and out from it to either attack the invaders or retreat to lick their wounds.

Jonathan shook off his stupor and made off for their destination in a full sprint. "Break time's over, kids. Let's move!"

His team quickly fell into step behind him as they hurried to the newly forged warzone.

The first thing Jonathan felt upon reaching the office building was hope; brought on by just how many people had decided to take matters into their own hands against Tenrouryuu and his pack… then again, when one figured out how to throw fire, frost and everything in between fleeing would most likely take a dip in priority.

Survivors of the initial chaos had banded together and were attacking the building en masse. Across the street from the office building stood a nearby QuikTrip that most of the crowd was using as a gathering spot as well as a safe area to observe and cheer on the ones that had chosen to fight. Several corpses of other giant wolves were strewn about randomly along the streets surrounding the office complex with certain individuals standing next to or upon the canine carcasses drinking in the worship of the men, women, and even a few children gathered there.

One, in particular, was making an effort to be noticed above his fellow 'hunters.' "Now when this shit goes down an' that big ass doggy dawg in there finally shows himself, ya'll jus' let me handle 'im," The young man thumped his chest for emphasis before turning to Tenrouryuu's lair and tossing a particular gesture in its direction. As he did, a jet of bright red flame roared up from his middle finger. The crowd that had gathered around him roared their own, swept up in his bravado and confidence.

The fire drew in the rookie leader and his team, allowing them to get a good look at this new addition. He was tall and dark skinned with a lanky, muscled frame, wearing beige slacks and a leather jacket with a white fur collar over a dark T-shirt. His black hair was cut into a fade, with a bald spot on his right temple cut into the shape of a five-pointed star. His eyes were the color of amber, and they held a look of real excitement as he let his gaze roam over the crowd.

As soon as they locked onto the devil hunter in her full battle dress a deep smirk came to his face. Hopping off of his bestial stage, the young man jogged over to Yohko and gave his most charming grin. "Hey. You feel like hanging out after this whole thing's wrapped up?"

Jonathan couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this newcomer was starting to get under his skin. "If anyone's gonna wrap this up, it's gonna be the team with the _professional devil hunter_ on their side. Don't suppose you have one of those, do ya?"

The hotheaded newcomer adopted a sneer of his own after being interrupted. "You hatin' on me, fatass? Think I can't burn these mothas up?!"

The rookie leader dug his heels in, matching the black man stare for stare. "I think you've gotten cocky after dealing with a few wolves instead of waiting 'til you've beaten the leader before claiming bragging rights."

The newcomer broke into a loud cackle. " _What_ leader?! He been too chicken to show his face out here. Only thing been these damn wolves for the last hour. If this was _my digs_ -"

"HOUR?!" Yohko suddenly exclaimed, cutting off her would-be suitor. "But that doesn't make sense! No demon or youkai would let his lair be subjected to this kind of assault unless-" The devil hunter suddenly paled before she pulled out a handful of her newly crafted talismans and tossed them upon the ground. They arranged themselves in a large circle as they landed, broad enough to encompass all of Jonathan's team as well as the newcomer.

The effort came none too soon for a heartbeat later a booming roar erupted from within the former office complex. The skies above answered the call, darkened and roiled before lightning burst from within to strike all around the demon's lair. Those that weren't flash fried by the discharges fell into a panic and scattered in random directions trying to find shelter or somehow outrun the growing storm clouds.

Jonathan and his team were able to stand their ground thanks to Yohko's quick thinking earlier. As the bolts of lightning struck, those that angled too close to her circle of talismans ended up being grounded out upon the invisible barrier that those charms created. The rookie leader gave a grateful nod to the devil hunter. "Nice work, Yohko. Any chance we could just potshot Tenrouryuu from inside here?"

Yohko summoned her Soul Sword and began studying the office building intently before she responded. "'Fraid not, Jon. Energy attacks can't easily pass through the spell, but solid objects, like claws and teeth, _can_. Not that it matters since the barrier's about to fall anyway."

The rookie leader glanced down at the circle of paper charms, already more than half of them were fuming or already had caught fire. He gave that info a moment's thought before shrugging nonchalantly. "Ah well, couldn't call it an adventure if it was _easy_ , right?"

The group managed a few smiles and chuckles at his quip just as the barrier went down. The skies above were still dark with storm clouds, but no further bolts of energy fell to earth. The newcomer took a chance and started running for the relative safety of the QT shop where most of the survivors were gathering, leaving Jonathan and his team to stand against the inevitable on their own. A rumbling, chuffing laugh filled the air from the entrance the wolves had made in the building. When it spoke, the air seemed to ionize leaving tingles upon everyone's skin. _**"So there are yet rams among sheep here? ...Good. Courageous prey always tastes better to me."**_

What emerged from the opening was _huge_ , almost double the height of an elephant. Most of its body and all of its tail were covered in a spiky, dark fur that had sparks of bright blue energy dancing along the tips at random. It stood upon four well-developed legs wrapped in thick, ridged scales, which were a pale yellow color. Five thick black claws were on each foot, and plumes of bright white fur were on both elbows and both heels as well as the chest, back and tip of its tail.

Two stripes of spiny yellow scales wound from the upper chest, around the shoulders then across the length of the body to end at the base of the tail. The head was distinctly lupine but held two straight horns that were swept backward like its ears were, giving the impression of a head crest. Its eyes shone with intelligence and energy, glowing a bright blue.

It faced the group that would challenge its claim to its new territory, widening its stance and baring its fangs in a snarl that rumbled the air around it. _**"I do not fear you, Devil Hunter. Tenrouryuu, the Wolf that Hunts from the Heavens, faces you this day. Know that I shall be remembered as the one that turned you from Hunter to**_ **Prey** _ **!"**_

Bright white energy collected in the demon wolf's maw as he finished speaking. The devil hunter's honed instincts took over, and she launched herself head on towards the monster. She took a swing at Tenrouryuu's head as she flew by, forcing the demon's shot of ball lightning to sail clear of his intended targets. As the blast impacted a nearby parking lot and threw concrete shrapnel everywhere, Yohko continued her solitary assault upon Tenrouryuu, her allies that she could now count on seemingly forgotten. At first, the devil hunter was only too fast for the demon wolf and managed several powerful hits on his limbs and body, one strike severing two digits from his right front paw.

Much to Yohko's surprise, the demon's eyes began to glow brighter before his injuries rapidly healed themselves. _**"You only hurt yourself, human bitch. My pups will be drawn by the scent of my spilled blood and rush to sate the hunger it brings!"**_

True to his word, more wolves began to flood out of the former office complex. These versions were different from earlier specimens, not only were they much more significant than the average canine, these looked more like the leader in shape, intelligence, and power. They swarmed their leader's fallen digits and feasted upon the flesh, blood, even the bones until nothing remained. The direwolves' bodies began to distort and shift, becoming more like Tenrouryuu and surging with greater electrical energy. They then focused on the cluster of humans that managed to survive the lightning strikes and charged.

Thankfully, seeing the devil hunter's one-woman stand against Tenrouryuu was enough to ward away the panic that had gripped the survivors earlier. Those that could fight rallied. Those that could lead did so, including the fire-wielding newcomer from before. It went without saying that the sight of a woman standing against what he could not was more than enough incentive for him to get back into the fight in another way.

The rookie leader remained standing in the former barrier site, taking in all of the developments around him. The rest of his team stood with him, behind and to each side, awaiting his instructions. Seconds later he began speaking. "Yohko's gone and volunteered to keep the Big Bad Wolf at bay, so we'll make ourselves useful elsewhere."

"Dax, find a safe spot and see if you can't find a weakness of some kind for us to exploit using your tech. Anything that can turn off the big guy's Wolverine impression would be preferable," The lieutenant commander gave a curt nod and flipped out her tricorder before running towards a few nearby undamaged vehicles.

Jonathan then focused downward towards his unofficial mascots. "Navi, you and Raiga backup Yohko. Whatever help she needs, you give it," The little fae snapped off a clumsy salute while the nekomata grinned and then changed into his new battle form. The pair quickly zipped off to their assigned task. Immediately it proved helpful to the devil hunter as Navi flew into the demon wolf's field of vision to distract him while Raiga tried his new fangs out on one of Tenrouryuu's hind legs. The nekomata heard a rather shrill howl of pain from his foe for his trouble.

The aged firebender and neophyte warlock were all that still needed to hear which parts they would play. Ian, in particular, looked disturbingly eager to get into the thick of things."Iroh, you're with me. I need you to watch my back while I'm helping support the crowd and coordinate with Mr. Hot Shot. If I do it, I'm liable to bite his head off. As for you Ian… _Smash_ ," Iroh's face was utterly stoic as he nodded his acknowledgment of orders and moved closer to the rookie leader. Ian, on the other hand, gained a wholly evil look to his face before dashing into the host of enemies to wreak havoc.

Jonathan and the aged firebender quickly reached the crowd and the rookie leader set to work getting a line of injured coming his way and showing off his flashy healing powers. Iroh and the newcomer quickly synergized as the aged firebender coached his fellow flameslinger into organizing the crowd into two groups. The first, led by the newcomer, attacked the bulk of Tenrouryuu's pack. The second, with Iroh in command, both took the injured out of the battle zone and supported Jonathan's attempts to get them back on their feet.

Many were in awe of the rookie leader's skills, and a tiny fraction of those healed by him began to show a similar luminescence as well. Comprised mainly of those that had manifested no other abilities yet, these people quickly got the hang of their new powers and were able to help Jonathan keep everyone as healthy as possible. Minutes passed, but slowly the people that called Oak Cliff home began to push back the powered up pups of Tenrouryuu's pack as the wolves were outnumbered and gradually worn down.

Then, it all changed.

The demon wolf had been slowly increasing his speed and power through some means as he fought Yohko, Navi, and Raiga. The three of them were somehow managing to keep away from the business ends of his claws, fangs and lighting attacks but were showing signs of their growing fatigue. A fatal mistake was inevitable, and it was the devil hunter's to make. A stray claw swipe from Tenrouryuu suddenly caught her unawares, flinging Yohko to the ground stunned. Sensing the kill, the demon wolf tensed up to pounce, completely ignoring the attempts by the little fae and nekomata to distract him.

But he was so focused on ending the cursed line of devil hunters that he failed to notice Dax stand from her hiding place and fire her phaser at him.

He was unaware that she had been scanning him the entire battle and had isolated the electromagnetic frequency that partly made up his ability to draw electrical power from his surroundings, which he had been doing the whole time from his nearby lair.

And he had no clue that her phaser was set to temporarily disrupt that frequency in the hopes that it would weaken him enough to be slain.

The reconfigured beam of charged light, now a light purple instead of red, struck the demon wolf on the side just as his hind legs kicked off from the ground. The energy was absorbed by Tenrouryuu's body filling him with the worst pain he had ever known. He collapsed back to earth and an instant later, the powers that now surged out of his control burst forth from his body in a massive electromagnetic pulse that spread all across the battlefield.

The human defenders suddenly stopped whatever they were doing as the blast caught their attention and washed over them, luckily to little effect. The members of Tenrouryuu's pack howled in agony from the EMP before collapsing where they stood. Raiga did so as well, shrinking back to his original size in the process. The power grid in the former office complex shorted out rather explosively as fixtures and even a few walls detonated from the surge as it passed through the building. Every power line transformer nearby suffered a similar fate, shorting out and arcing loudly and in a few cases exploding outright.

But the only part of the aftermath that every survivor would remember clearly was Tenrouryuu suddenly rising to his feet, locking his gaze upon the Starfleet officer and with a roar launching a massive sphere of electricity her way for daring to interfere.

She didn't even have time to turn around before the blast reached her and made Jadzia Dax disappear.

* * *

Chapter End.


End file.
